


Words on Your Arm

by Winner_of_the_disability_bingo



Series: Soulmate September 2020 [9]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Gen, Platonic Soulmates, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:46:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26365915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winner_of_the_disability_bingo/pseuds/Winner_of_the_disability_bingo
Summary: Soulmate September Day 9 - Writing on your skin appears on your soulmate's skinThe first words appeared when Virgil was five.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Deceit | Janus Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Logic | Logan Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Morality | Patton Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil/Creativity | Roman/Dark Creativity | Remus/Deceit/Logic | Logan/Morality | Patton, platonic DRLAMP
Series: Soulmate September 2020 [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1904476
Comments: 5
Kudos: 115





	Words on Your Arm

**Author's Note:**

> I'm aware that this trope is kind of overdone in the SS fandom, but the randomiser chose it so that's what I wrote.

The first words appeared when Virgil was five. They were written on his wrist in dark blue pen.

_Hello soulmates. I just turned 10. It is nice to meet you. -LN_

They were odd, and he had no idea where they came from. He asked his parents about it. They said it was his soulmate’s words.

Everyone was born with at least one soulmate. Usually, the number of soulmates was between three and five. Anything more or less was almost unheard of.

When you turned ten, you received your soul pen. Anything you wrote on your skin with that pen would appear on your soulmates’ skin. Twins and siblings often shared soulmates, leading scientists to believe it was more biology than magic or destiny.

It was impossible to write names in soul pen before the soulmates met. No one knew why. Virgil both thought it was stupid and was grateful for it.

The next words appeared three months later. The dark blue had decided to keep to his left arm. They usually wrote down notes for homework or books they were planning on reading.

The new words took their place on Virgil’s right arm in light blue pen.

_Hi L and other soulmates! It’s my birthday today! I hope you’re all having a good day ;) – P_

_Hello P, It is good to talk to you. –LN_

L and P talked to each other often. When they weren’t, P drew cartoons of cats and dogs. Sometimes, they wrote foods they recommended for the others to try.

The third came almost a year after light blue. They were a yellow/orange that wrote on Virgil’s right leg.

_Good morning/evening everyone. I am P’s younger brother, J_

P’s response was many exclamation points and smiley faces. By now, they had grown much better at drawing, they drew cartoon characters almost effortlessly. L’s reaction was more subdued. They welcomed J and, somehow, by the end of the day, his left arm and right legs were almost impossible to see beneath the debate over the failing American education system.

Virgil, being six at the time, had no idea what either of them were talking about. When he showed his mother, she burst into laughter and told him he’d found himself some keepers, whatever that meant.

It was a year and a half before any more words appeared. The three of-age soulmates sometimes wondered if it was just the three of them.

The next soulmate decided to let their presence be known by drawing a boner on Virgil’s collarbone in green. What a way to introduce a seven-year-old to crude humour.

Seconds later, a red pen scribbled all over the boner and apologised, in all caps, to the rest of Virgil’s soulmates.

_I AM SO SORRY ABOUT MY BROTHER PLEASE IGNORE HIM – RO_

_Hehehe (_ _ಠ_ _◡_ _ಠ_ _) – RE_

The conversation continued between the five of them. RO took his place on Virgil’s left leg. RE wrote absolutely everywhere (except the face, thankfully). P and L told RE off for the boner. J stayed out of the debate. He usually did.

Then, L said something that shattered

Virgil’s heart.

_With RO and RE, that makes five of us. Meaning we do not have to wait for any more soulmates. It’s good to have everyone here._

P protested, saying that it was possible for them to have a sixth soulmate. J and L both said that it was nearly impossible.

And that was it.

* * *

On Virgil’s tenth birthday he didn’t write anything. He thought about it, before deciding there was no point and chucking the pen in his drawer.

He spent the rest of the day staring at the conversations happening on his skin. They had no idea he even existed.

It was probably better that way.

* * *

Over the years, Virgil learned about his soulmates. For example, they all went to the same university as him. On the same campus too.

L was very… professional. Even when he didn’t have to be. He enjoyed schedules and liked to do things in order. His consistency grounded Virgil. He was currently studying astronomy and chemistry and worked as a librarian on campus.

P was astoundingly positive. He didn’t like people to know when he was upset. Sometimes, the only way to tell how he was feeling was by the way he wrote. When he was upset, he pressed down and the ink smudged. His positivity both exhausted and comforted Virgil. He studied visual art and worked at an animal shelter.

J was P’s opposite. P and RO said he was a pessimist. He said he was a realist. He didn’t get into argument often, only ever with RO. He loved to debate, though. It took a long time for the rest of them (minus L) to figure out the difference between the two. He was almost as sarcastic as Virgil, which was wonderful. His passion gave Virgil confidence. He studied politics and psychology. He worked at an antique shop. He refused to give explanation of it beyond that.

RO was unbelievably energetic. He loved Disney more than a regular human should. Sometimes, he would write the lyrics to songs during school. It was hard to concentrate when someone was writing ‘you’re welcome’ repeatedly in all caps. His energy was something Virgil wished he had, and he always looked forward to the review every time a new Disney movie came out. He studied performing arts and worked at the theatre down the street from Virgil’s apartment.

RE was… Not Normal. He didn’t seem to mature at all. He constantly picked fights with the others and, honestly, he scared Virgil. Eventually, that fear had subsided. RE wasn’t awful once you got to know him. He just didn’t have a filter. According to RO, it was something they were working on. Virgil got second-hand embarrassment just thinking about RE, but he had to admit that he admired the other man’s honesty, both with himself and others. He studied performing arts and biochemistry. He worked with Roman at the theatre.

P, RE and RO found each other first. P had accidentally spilled coffee on RO’s shirt and when he lifted it up to see the stain, P saw the words on his midriff. J, being P’s brother, met the twins next.

L and J met each other when they had a debate in the library and recognised each other’s arguments. Imagine being that nerdy. L was soon introduced to the rest of them.

After that, there weren’t that many conversations. Mostly reminders and schedules. Once, P drew all five of them on the torso, so at least Virgil knew what they looked like.

Virgil himself studied medicine. Because if he didn’t do the best at the hardest one then what was the point. Also because he had a passion for it but whatever. He worked at the café next to where RE and RO worked.

Working next to them meant they came into his café often once their shifts ended. Virgil didn’t really notice them until the other three started coming. He knew for certain it was them when he saw P’s drawing of a snake curling around their right wrists.

L’s real name was Logan, and he spoke the same way he wrote. P was Patton and his voice was way sweeter than Virgil could have imagined. J was Janus and, aside from the strange name, he was chill. RO was Roman and he was even louder than Virgil thought people could be. RE was Remus and he really did not have any filter at all.

Knowing they were his soulmates meant he payed more attention to them than he usually would. They always got the same thing, so he memorised their orders almost immediately. They didn’t catch on until he saw them walk in and accidentally gave them their food and drinks before they’d even ordered.

Remus and Roman had laughed at his blush when he’d realised what he’d done. Logan and Janus thanked him and Patton said he was happy Virgil remembered their orders.

After that, the group always asked for Virgil to serve them. Even when he wasn’t on shift, as Remy had told him.

They did this for several weeks, often making conversation with Virgil while he was serving them. He wasn’t good at small-talk, but they didn’t mind. Eventually, they figured out his shift and always came ten minutes before it ended so they could ask him to stay with them when he got off.

Virgil had declined the first two times, but on the third, he agreed to spend a couple of minutes with them. The five of them had been delighted, sharing high-fives and grins.

A couple of weeks later, Virgil found himself agreeing to go to one of Roman and Remus’ plays.

He hadn’t felt good in the days leading up to it. He didn’t know if it was because he agreed to go out with people for the first time in his life, if it was because he agreed to go out with his soulmates, or if his meds had just stopped working.

He was dizzy and his hands shook, the world blurred around him. The next thing he knew, he was in front of the theatre, with Logan, Patton and Janus at his sides. They payed for their tickets and took seat next to each other as close to the front as they could. Suddenly, Virgil couldn’t breath. Janus looked like he was about to ask something, but the play started before he could.

While the show was on, Virgil couldn’t help but zone out. Why where his soulmates so interested in being with him if they didn’t know he was their soulmate? He had never had any real friends, was it normal for soulmates to introduce a non-soulmate into the group? Did they find out somehow and were gaining his trust so that they could reject him? Where they-

No. They wouldn’t do that. Patton especially. He had known them since they were ten and he knew they wouldn’t do something that cruel.

The play finished and Virgil couldn’t remember any of it. It was just Romeo and Juliet, though so he didn’t have to worry about being asked questions about it.

Roman and Remus came out a few minutes after the end. The other three congratulated them on the performance. Virgil was dizzy. He really shouldn’t have come out tonight. There was far too much social interaction happening and he was already tired.

Virgil leaned against a traffic light pole, watching the five of them exchange complements and playful insults. He couldn’t understand a word of it. He didn’t notice Patton warning him until pain had erupted in his back. He didn’t remember anything after that.

* * *

When he woke up, the first thing he noticed was the bandages. They covered almost every part of his torso and arms, itching badly. Man, he hated how sensitive his skin was. The next thing he noticed was the numbness in his legs. He could feel them, but barely.

He couldn’t open his eyes. Or move his mouth. he couldn’t move anything at all. He felt his heartbeat skyrocket in panic. What was wrong with him? What had happened? Was he dead? Where were the others?

A hand rested on his shoulder while another combed through his hair. Soft voices spoke to him. He didn’t understand what they were saying, but relaxed. They felt nice.

* * *

The fifth time he woke up, he could finally understand the voices around him. He still couldn’t move, but at least he had that.

Roman was singing somewhere to Virgil’s left. Something from ‘Into the Woods’, if Virgil remembered correctly. His voice was soft, and far away. Virgil didn’t know if that was because he was far away or if it was just Virgil.

From Virgil’s right, Janus said something about the healthcare a medical student should have. Patton giggled and everything faded again.

* * *

Virgil didn’t know how many times he had woken up, but he did know that at least one of his soulmates was always there.

This time, he woke up in the middle of having his bandages changed. To his left, his soulmates were having a conversation.

“Why do you think he never told us?” Patton.

“Because we never asked? It is not compulsory to tell your soulmates of your existence. It is also possible he didn’t realise we were his soulmates.” Logan.

“Still, he never wrote anything. Ever. Who even does that?” Roman.

Someone walked to the end of Virgil’s bed, picking something up from the end.

“Maybe because we told him he didn’t exist.” Janus. “Look at his date of birth. He’s three years younger than the twins. I doubt anyone else remembers, but Logan and Patton made a speech about finally having everyone together.”

There were soft, small words of remembrance and understanding. Something climbed onto his bed and lay down next to him.

“Don’t worry Virgie, we’ll be the best soulmates ever from now on. And everyone will have to listen to me now that you actually did get in a car accident like I said would happen.” There was a soft smacking sound, probably one of the others hitting Remus.

Virgil felt the rest of them sit on his bed next to him and Remus.

This time, Virgil fell asleep feeling safer than he’d felt since he was a child.


End file.
